The present invention relates to a training aid for skating and methods related thereto.
In order to learn to skate, it is necessary that the individual acquire a sense of balance that is learned by experience through skating. The learning period needed to acquire this sense of balance depends upon the individual""s ability and is usually marked by frequent falling to the ice or other hard surface resulting in cuts, bruises, sprains and possible serious injury such as broken or fractured bones. Consequently, beginning skaters, whether young or old, experience considerably difficulty in mastering the sport of skating, often out of a fear of falling and suffering an injury. Once a person has taken a particularly bad fall, the person often becomes so afraid that they give up on the sport altogether or become so cautious that the learning process is slow and lengthy.
It is not uncommon to see a person who is learning to skate to be holding onto someone, preferably an experienced skater. This holding onto, however, does not insure against an occasional fall, which also can include both the learner and the experienced skater. Because the development of self-confidence and the sense of balance is an essential ingredient of the skating learning process, the beginner preferably should not begin learning to skate by leaning on another or at least should not continue to lean on someone for security but instead, go it alone as soon as possible.
The need for training and safety devices for beginning skaters has been recognized and a number of these skating aids have been proposed or patented. These aids, however, have the disadvantages that they tend to restrict or confine the user in a manner that limits the ability to skate in the natural skating position. A number of these aids also include a handrail that is grasped by the skater as a security against falling. The handrail also constitutes the sole mechanism by which the aid is moved along by the skater. If the skater becomes distracted and releases their grip on the handrail, then the aid typically loses its source of motive power and directional control. Thus, in addition to creating the potential for falling because they have released the handrail, the aid itself could comprise an interference to the skater. In any event, these aids in effect provide a mechanism for the skater to continuously lean on.
There is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,734 a mobile skating aid that includes a surrounding main frame supported at approximately waist-height on telescoping posts which extend upwardly from a pair of elongated runners intended to continuously contact the skating surface. A seat element is flexibly suspended from the main frame at an adjustable distance below the main frame at a height to be straddled by the skater. This seat element provides a safety catch that prevents the skater from falling even if the skater completely looses footing or traction. The main frame further includes a handrail element that the skater grasps during use such as illustrated in FIG. 4 thereof. While such a device provides a mechanism to catch a falling skater, such a device includes a handrail as a leaning on mechanism and as the means by which the skater can push the aid along the ice. Such a device also does not provide a mechanism by which the skater can distribute 100% of their weight onto the surface.
It thus would be desirable to provide a new skating aid that would provide security to the skater against injury from falling and methods related thereto for training a skater. It would be particularly desirable to provide such a skating training aid and related training method that would not require the skater to push or hold the training aid while skating in comparison to prior art devices. Such skating training devices preferably would be simple in construction and less costly than prior art devices and such methods would not require highly skilled users to utilize the device.
The present invention features a novel training aid or device for skaters and training methods related thereto, Such a training aid or device generally includes a support frame and a harness secured to the support frame at a location that is above the head of the skater and that is configured and arranged so a portion thereof is removably secured about the skater. The support frame is configured and arranged so as to extend about and from the skater when the skater is secured in the harness. The support frame also is configured and arranged so as to be moveably disposed upon the skating surface and thereby being moveable by the skater responsive to a skating motion. When the skating surface is ice, the support frame includes a mechanism at an interface between the ice and the support frame whereby the support frame is slidably disposed on the ice. Additionally, the harness is pivotably mounted to the support frame.
In specific embodiments, the support frame according to the present invention is configured and arranged so as to include a plurality of support members. Each support member has first, second and third portions where the first and third portions are mechanically interconnected to opposite ends of the second portion and each at an angle with respect to the second portion. The second portions of the respective plurality of support members are secured to each other at a point of intersection so the second portions are at a second angle with respect to each other. Also, the harness is secured to the support frame proximal the point of intersection. In a specific embodiment, the second portions are arcuate and the first and third portions are substantially straight. Alternatively, Each support members is arcuate and generally parabolic in shape and the point of intersection corresponds to the vertex of each support member.
The angle between the support member first and second portions and the third and second portions is established such that the support frame has sufficient stiffness and strength to support the weight of the skater. Also, the second portions of the respective plurality of support members are secured to each other at the point of intersection so the second portions are at an angle of about 90 degrees with respect to each other. The support frame also can further include cross members that extend between adjacent portions of the plurality of support members so as to maintain the support members in fixed relation.
The support frame according to the present invention also can be configured and arranged so as to include three or more support members, each having a proximal end and a first portion extending from the proximal end. The proximal ends of each of the three support members are secured to each other so the first portions of the three support members are spaced from each other about a common point and disposed a distance above the head of the skater. Further, the harness is secured to the first portions of support members proximal to the common point.
More particularly, each support member further includes a second portion mechanically interconnected to the member first portion and wherein the second portions of the three support members are spaced laterally from the skater when the skater is disposed in the harness. The support frame also can further include cross members that extend between adjacent members of the three support members so as to maintain the three support members in fixed relation. The support frame also can be configured to include four or five of the above described support members.
Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are discussed below.